Game and apparatus therefor.



No. 333,779. iATENTED 00123, 1906. J. w. 001.1.

GAME AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

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ATTORNEYS Join? Maul a.

BY 4' Irrrr APPLICATION FILED 1330.26, 1905- Hi1 l mmmsgs:

- No. 833,779. v PATENTBD 0CT."2'3,719O6.

J. w.-0uLP. GAME AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO. 26. 1905.

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WITNESASZES." INVENTOR 1' B O l6 cfO/ZIZW 6712;). I

ATTORNEYS PATENTED OCT. 23, 1906.-

J. W. GULP. GAME AND APPARATUS THEREFOR,

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. 1905.

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, paratus.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GAME AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

Application filed December 26, 1905. Serial No. 293,357-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, JOHN W. CULP, resid ing at Elkhart, in the county ofElkhart and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Games and Apparatus Therefor, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to a certain new and useful game and game apparatustherefor which combines amusement, instruction, and exercise for youngand old and which can be played by any number of persons. This game willbe designated on the market as the game of Pan ball, and the apparatuswith which it is played comprises in its generic nature a receptacle inwhich a ball can be rotated to engage certain registering mechanism asit is rolled around the receptacle to positively indicate the number oftimes the ball performs certain impacting functions on theoperating-levers of the registeringmechanism.

In its more subordinate nature my invention comprises a pan orreceptacle, having a bottom and an annular wall projecting upwardlytherefrom and terminating in a ballretaining rim, and a pair ofregistering devices mounted on the receptacle-wall and havingoperating-levers projected into the path of the moving ball, one ofwhich levers is adapted to be engaged by the ball at each revolutionthereof around the aXis of the pan, while the other operating-lever isonly engageable by the ball at certain predetermined times under controlof the operator.

With other objects in view than have been heretofore specified theinvention also embodies certain new construction, operation, andarrangement of parts of the apparatus, all of which will be firstdescribed in detail and then be specifically pointed out in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of my invention applied for use whensuspended from an overhead support. Fig. 2 shows my invention in usewhen not suspended. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatusunsuspended. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the ap- Fig. 5 is a verticallongitudinal section on the line 5 5 ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detailperspective view of the first registering mechanism detached from thereceptacle or pan. Fig. 7 is a similar view to Fig. 6 of the secondregistering mechanism detached.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers ofreference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 designates thereceptacle or pan proper, which comprises a conical bottom 1 and sidewalls 1 which preferably are of greater diameter at the top than at thebottom for a purpose presently understood. At the upper edge of the sidewalls 1 the pan has a horizontal rim 1 secured to the walls 1 in anyapproved manner, and the rim 1? serves as a retaining means forthe-operating-ball 2 to prevent the ball flying out of the pan when thegame is in operation. Secured to the wall 1 of the pan 1 on the outsidethereof is a bracket 3, having securing-ears 3*, by means of which itmay be riveted to the pan.

4 designates a disk or wheel which is pivotally mounted on a stud 5,secured to the outerend of the bracket 3, and the wheel or disk 4 isprovided with peripheral, ratchetteeth 4 and a pluralityofradially-arranged pin-receiving apertures 4 spaced an equal angulardistance apart. A stud-pin 6 cooperates with the apertures 4 as will behere inafter more fully understood.

7 designates the operating-lever for the disk 4, which is fulcrumed, asat 7*, on the bracket 3 and carries a pivoted pawl 8 at itswheel-adjacent end to engage the teeth 4 of the disk 4 to impart motionto the disk 4 in one direction. The pawl 8 is held in engagement withthe teeth 4 by a spring 9, secured to a lug 7 on the lever 7, as shown.The movement of the lever 7 is limited in one direction by a stop 10 onthe bracket 3 and in the opposite direction by a lug 11, against whichthe spring 12 normally engages. The spring 12, which returns the lever 7to its normal position, is secured to a second lug 7 c on the lever 7,as clearly shown in Fig. 6. A spring-catch 14, secured to the lug 14 onthe bracket 3, engages the peripheral ratchetteeth 4" to prevent thewheel 4 turning except in one direction. The lever 7 has its free endprojectin within the pan 1 and has such end provided with a rod orhandle 13, arranged substantially parallel with the pan side andtransversely to the path of motion to the ball, the pan 1 being cutaway, as at 1 to permit passage of the lever 7 and the handle 13, asshown.

15 designates a second bracket arranged near the bracket 3, which isprovided with securing-ears 15*, by means of which it may be riveted orotherwise secured to the pan. The bracket 15 serves to support thesecond registering mechanism, which comprises a disk 16, of like form asthe disk 4 and having peripheral ratchetteeth 16*, as 1 shown. The disk16 is mounted to turn on a stud 15", secured near the outer end of thebracket 15. The disk 16 has indicating-numbers 16 to cooperate with astationary pointer 16 on the stud 15 as shown.

The operating-lever 17 for the second registering mechanism is fulcrumedon a stop 18, secured to the bracket 15, and carries a spring-pawl 19 atits disk-adjacent end, which pawl 19 engages the ratchet-teeth of thedisk 16 to move it in one direction, the disk 16 being prevented frommovement in the opposite direction by a spring-catch 20, which engagesthe ratchet-teeth of the wheel 16 and is secured to a lug 15 on thebracket 15. The operating-lever 17 projects through an aperture 1 in thepan to the inside thereof and is held in its normal position by a spring21, secured to a lug 17 on the lever 17, and has its free end in enagement with a lug 22 on the bracket 15. pin or lug 23 limits themovement of the lever 17 in one direction, while the stop 22 limits itsmovement in the other direction, as will be seen by reference to thedrawings.

24 designates an apron secured to the pan 1 for protecting theregistering mechanism, as shown. To enable my improved game to beconveniently operated and played, I may suspend the pan 1 from anoverhead support by means of cords 25, which pass through apertures 26in the rim of the pan 1.

In the practical arrangement of my apparatus the first registeringmechanism above described is placed in such a position that itsoperating-lever will be engaged by the ball 2 as it passes on its patharound the pan once in each revolution and is arranged to be operated inadvance of the second registering mechanism.

So far as described the manner in which my improved game is played andthe apparatus operated is as follows: The pan may be either suspendedfrom an overhead support, as shown in Fig. 1, or it may be simply heldin the hands of the operator. In either case the ball is placed in thepan and motion is imparted to the pan to cause the ball to run aroundthe pan, and by reason of the slanting sides of the pan as thecentrifugal force of the ball increases it will ride up the sides of thepan in proportion thereto. At each revolution of the ball the same willengage the rod or handle 13 of the lever 7 and push the lever 7 over tooperate the disk 4 one notch for each revolution, and when the ballreaches a certain path in alinement with the lever 17 it engages thelever 17, pushing it over and turning the disk 16 one notch at eachengagement of the ball with the lever 17. The pin within the disk 4 isset to regulate the number of times the disk can be moved by the ball.

In playing my game the ball will always strike the handle 13 to o eratethe levers 7 in advance of hitting the ever 17, so that the disk 4 willbe moved one notch every revolution of the pawl, while the disk 16 isoperated only at certain times, the object of the game being to causethe ball to operate the lever 17 and to record on the disk 16 thegreatest number of times possible to a given number of times the ballengages the handle 13. Each disk 4 and 16, respectively, is preferablyprovided with the same number of notches or teeth, so that should theball strike the lever 17 every time it revolves the disk 16, as well asthe disk 4, will make one complete revolution. Now supposing the game tobe played is to register the greatest number on the disk 16 duringtwenty revolutions of the ball, the operator places the pin in theposition shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, so that the disk 4 can movebut twenty times before the pin engages the frame to lock the firstregistering mechanism from operation. Thus it will be seen that theplayer has only a given number of revolutions of the ball in which toscore by striking the lever 17, the objective oint for the player toland the ball being thel eVer 17, so as to score points. In startlng toplay the game the disk 16 of the second registering mechanism is set toZero and the pin is placed in the proper hole in the disk 4, as beforestated. After the re uisite number of revolutions of the ball the isk 4becomes looked, as before stated, and the handle 13 held projectedwithin the pan, thus forming a stop for the ball to throw it out of theway, so that it cannot engage the lever 17 again so long as the lever 7is locked, and thereby prevent unfair playing of the game or cheatingand ending the game so far as the particular player is concerned. Thescore is then indicated on the disk 16 and can be readily determined bythe pointer cooperating with the disk.

Having thus fully described the construction of my improved gameapparatus and the manner in which it is operated and in. which the gameis played, I claim 1. A game apparatus comprising a receptacle,registering mechanisms secured thereto including operating-leversprojecting within the receptacle, and a ball held within the receptacleand adapted to operate said registering mechanisms when in motion,substantially as shown and described.

2. A game apparatus comprising a receptacle, a pair of registeringmechanisms supported thereby and having operating-levers projected intothe receptacle, one of said registering mechanisms having means for en-IIO gaging with the ball during each revolution of the ball around thereceptacle, substantially as shown and described.

3. A game apparatus comprising a receptacle, a pair of registeringmechanisms supported thereby and having operating-levers projected intothe receptacle, one of said registering mechanisms having means forengaging with the ball during each revolution of the ball around thereceptacle, and the other registering mechanism having means engageableby the ball only at times, substantially as shown and described.

4. A game apparatus comprising a receptacle, registering mechanismssecured thereto,

including operating-levers projecting within the receptacle, and a ballheld within the receptacle and adapted to operate said registeringmechanism when in motion, and means carried by the pan for retaining theball therein.

5. A game apparatus comprising a receptacle, a pair of registeringmechanisms supported thereby and having operating-levers projected intothe receptacle, one of said registering mechanisms having means forengaging with the ball during each revolution of the ball around thereceptacle, and means carried by the pan for retaining the ball therein.

6. A game apparatus comprising a receptacle, a pair of registeringmechanisms supported thereby and having operating-levers projected intothe receptacle, one of said registering mechanisms having means for'engaging with the ball during each revolution of the ball around thereceptacle, and the other registering mechanism having means engageableby the ball only at times, and means carried by the pan for retainingthe ball therein.

7. A game apparatus comprising a receptacle, registering-mechanismssecured thereto including operating-levers projected within thereceptacle, and a ball held within the receptacle and adapted to operatesaid registering mechanism when in motion, said pan having means fornormally positioning said ball against the sides of the pansubstantially as shown and described.

8. A game apparatus comprising a receptacle, registering mechanismssecured thereto, including operating-levers projecting within thereceptacle, and a ball held within the receptacle and adapted to operatesaid registering mechanism when in motion, means carried by the pan forretaining the ball therein, said pan having means for normallypositioning said ball against the sides of the pan substantially asshown and described.

9. A' game apparatus, comprising a receptacle, a ball loosely held insaid receptacle adapted to be rotated within the same, registeringmechanisms secured to the pan and including operating-levers projectedwithin the pan, and a'hood or apron for protecting said registeringmechanisms substantially as shown and described.

10. A game apparatus comprising a pan or receptacle, a plurality ofregistering mechanisms secured eXteriorly thereto, and havingoperating-leversprojecting within the receptacle, an operating deviceloosely held within the receptacle for engaging the operating-levers ofthe registering mechanisms as the operating device is moved around thereceptacle and an apron secured to the receptacle for protecting theregistering mechanism, sub stantially as shown and described.

11. A game apparatus of the class described, comprising the combinationwith a receptacle, of a pair of registering mechanisms securedeXteriorly to the receptacle and including a registering-disk andoperatinglever therefor, said operating levers projecting within thereceptacle, a ball within the pan for engaging the operating-levers ofthe registering mechanisms one at a time and an apron secured to the panfor projecting the registering mechanisms substantially as shown anddescribed.

12. A game apparatus comprising a receptacle, registering mechanismssecured thereto, including operating levers projecting within thereceptacle, and a ball held within the receptacle and adapted to operatesaid registering mechanisms when in motion, and means for suspending thereceptacle from an overhead support.

13'. A game apparatus comprising a receptacle, registering mechanismssecured thereto, including operating levers projecting within thereceptacle, and a ball held within the receptacle and adapted to operatesaid registering mechanism when in motion, means carried by the pan forretaining the ball therein, and means for suspending the receptacle froman overhead support.

14:. In a game of the class described, the combination with a first andsecond obstacle, of means for moving a ball in a circuitous path andcausing it to engage one of said obstacles once during each movement ofthe ball through its path, and causing it to engage the other obstacleat times during its movement, and means for registering saidengagements, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

JOHN W. CULP. Witnesses:

GUsToN K. FEATHER, 'DASELT J. GOFF.

ICS

